'Get our fundamentals right' - Lily Yohannes taking control, Jaedyn Shaw's wild-card chance and responding to a stunning loss: Five keys for the USWNT vs Portugal

There was one talking point repeated by just about every member of the USWNT after the loss: they played too much as individuals, not as a collective.

"We’re too good for that and ultimately, tonight was just not acceptable," midfielder Sam Coffey said. "It was not our standard. I think we were really individual. There’s a lot of weight that comes with wearing this jersey, and that’s the way - we take it so seriously. That’s the best responsibility in the world and I don’t think we did a good enough job honoring that tonight."

So what's the fix? It's both easy and complicated, and the simple answer is to just do the little things better. The U.S. conceded twice in set pieces, so that can be cleaned up. The press, Hayes said, was disjointed, which is something that left her extremely disappointed. In terms of effort and energy, the USWNT boss said her side seemed to switch off after Rose Lavelle's first-minute goal. 

"What am I telling them for the next game? Let’s get our fundamentals right," Hayes said. "We can’t score at the start of the game and be on back foot afterwards... We scored a goal, and we stopped playing. If the Under-23s were watching, we’ve worked on our principles and plays and if they’ve watched that tonight, they’d wonder what ours were?

"We didn’t look like a team the whole evening, on both sides of the ball. We didn’t press together, we didn’t possess together, it felt like a yard off in our brain. I could see that.”

The focus will be on those little things. There will be lineup changes, of course, and Hayes has already brought in defender, Eva Gaetino, in between games - taking the roster spot that was opened by Trinity Rodman's injury.

Whoever starts will be asked to hit the same basic marks. They'll be asked to play effectively, but also play together after a performance that was disjointed enough to lead to Portgual's first win over the USWNT in 12 meetings, all-time.

We only got a glimpse at Lily Yohannes' game on Thursday. She came into the match in the second half and did tempo-setting. She didn't quite have that one game-breaking moment that has already become her signature with the USWNT, but there were signs that it could come.

Perhaps on Sunday, then, if Yohannes is given the chance to start. With rotation expected, it would make sense. It won't be an easy game by any stretch. On Thursday, Portugal showed that they were willing to be physical to prevent the U.S. from finding their rhythm. The result? A pretty even possession-wise, which is something few would have expected.

One of the keys, then, will be to establish control of the midfield. Even at just 18, that's something Yohannes already offers. The Lyon midfielder is one of several players that should start and, of them, she is perhaps the most exciting.The teenager tends to take a leap each camp - can she do it again if given a bigger role this time around?

The USWNT's attack, as constructed, is still something of a work in progress. Rodman is out with a knee injury. Her Triple Espresso mates - and recent mothers - Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson, both remain out. The current group, save for Catarina Macario, is relatively inexperienced and still very much learning as they go.

On Thursday, the front three was Macario, Alyssa Thompson and Michelle Cooper. Thompson played 90 and Cooper got knocked around by an aggressive Portugal defense for most of the first half. And Macario has an extensive injury history, so might it be wise to give others a look? 

Ally Sentnor is one option, and it seems likely she'll feature after being the lone attacker not to get minutes in the first game. Both Yazmeen Ryan and Emma Sears showed flashes off the bench and could be in the XI, as well. And then there's a wild card, Jaedyn Shaw, who could start as a No. 10, a winger or a false nine after making her return to the team this camp.

It's an interesting mix and one that Hayes, no doubt, has planned to rotate. She'll get a new look at a different formula in this game as she collects more data.

Before the game kicks off, all eyes will be on one of the USWNT's great goalkeepers. Alyssa Naeher earned that distinction, just as she earned the ceremony that will be held in her honor pre-game.

After that, all eyes will be on the goalkeeper on the pitch. There's plenty of anticipation to see who Hayes puts in that spot. On Thursday, it was Phallon Tullis-Joyce. The Manchester United shot-stopper has been 2025's most frequent starter, featuring four times in the 11 matches this season.

Against Portugal, despite the two goals, Tullis-Joyce was largely blameless - the first was an open header and the other came via a deflection after the USWNT failed to clear the ball. She's not alone in this squad, though.

In June, the last time the USWNT gathered, Hayes gave a game to each of her three goalkeepers. The other two, Mandy McGlynn and Claudia Dickey, are both in camp once again. Could one of them get the nod? Hayes is still evaluating options as she determines who will be Naeher's successor.

Thursday wasn't the USWNT's first loss of 2025. They've bounced back well from the two prior. After falling to Japan in February in the final of SheBelieves Cup, they earned a 2-0 win over Brazil in April. After then losing a rematch against Brazil a few days later, they stepped back onto the field in May and cruised past China 3-0.

Sunday, though, is different. There's no time to stew over a defeat. There are no roster changes. No, this is an immediate chance to respond - how will the USWNT handle it?

We're still a few years out from a major tournament, but this is an important test for Hayes and her team. In a group stage, for example, the U.S. could lose an opener and then need to bounce back a few days later. Same in World Cup qualifying, which begins next year.

There is value to this scenario and value to a young group learning how to internalize disappointment before then flushing it away in just a few days. So, while the result on Sunday doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, it's still a meaningful moment for a team that isn't used to stepping onto the field after a loss.